Equipment and documents have been damaged at the Vân Hồ Regional General Hospital in the northern mountainous province of Sơn La due to heavy rains triggered by Typhoon Matmo, the 11th storm of the year. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has asked ministries and provinces to remain vigilant and focus on monitoring and continuously updating residents on Typhoon Matmo's condition to effectively implement preventive and response measures.

According to the National Centre for Hydrometeorological Forecasting, Typhoon Matmo has weakened into a tropical depression. However, it was expected to cause heavy rain in the mountainous and midland regions, with rainfall generally ranging from 100 to 200mm, and some areas experiencing very heavy rain exceeding 300mm.

In Directive 188/CD-TTg sent to ministries and localities on Monday, PM Chính told provinces and cities to take the situation and rainfall forecasts into account and consider allowing students to complete classes online instead of attending school if necessary, to ensure utmost safety.

Authorities were asked to carefully review each residential area and each house to promptly identify and assist households in relocating from dangerous areas at risk of landslides, flash floods and deep flooding when heavy rain occurs.

They must also inform residents on the rain and flood situation, promote, guide and advise citizens to limit travel and outdoor activities, and arrange forces to strictly control traffic through any submerged roads and floods.

The PM also asked the chairpersons of provinces and cities to actively monitor and manage reservoirs to ensure dam safety and promptly assign forces and resources to prevent and handle incidents as soon as they occur.

At the same time, authorities were asked to arrange forces, food and essential supplies in vulnerable areas, as well as to prepare for rescue work.

The Ministry of National Defence, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) and other relevant bodies were ordered to direct military forces and police to coordinate and support localities and the people.

The MAE has been tasked with closely monitoring developments and providing forecasts as well as regular, timely and accurate information about rainstorms, flash floods and landslides.

PM Chính has assigned Deputy PM Trần Hồng Hà to continue directing ministries, sectors and localities to closely manage forecasting and urgently implement prevention, response and post-flood recovery measures.

All ministries and localities must report to the PM on the situation and results of flood prevention, response and recovery by 3pm daily.

More typhoons

At the MAE's regular press briefing on Monday morning, Deputy Director of the Meteorological and Hydrological Department Hoàng Đức Cường said that in the first nine months this year, Việt Nam had seen a large number of complex and unusual natural disasters compared to the long-term average.

He reported that in just nine months, the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) had seen 14 typhoons and tropical depressions, creating a chain of intense disasters with almost no break long enough to recover from the consequences.

Cường forecast that severe weather trends would continue from now until the end of the year, as autumn wears on and the air grows colder.

Starting this year, there would likely be more typhoons and tropical depressions in the East Sea (or South China Sea) that affect Việt Nam, with numbers higher than the long-term average. At least four or five typhoons could be expected in the sea each year, two or three of which could impact Việt Nam.

Nguyễn Văn Tiến, deputy director of the Department of Dike Management and Disaster Prevention and Control under the MAE, said that since the beginning of this year, 20 types of natural disasters had occurred nationwide.

The damage caused by these natural disasters had been very severe.

As of Monday, natural disasters across the country had resulted in 221 deaths and missing persons, 362 people injured, 219,043 houses damaged or with roofs blown off, 541,744ha of crops and other plants flooded, 14,641 livestock and 1,358,000 poultry killed or swept away and 4,083ha of aquaculture damaged.

“The total damage caused by natural disasters from the beginning of the year until now is VNĐ33.5 trillion (nearly US$1.3 billion),” said Tiến.

From now until the end of the year, heavy rain episodes are likely to occur in the central region, according to the department. — VNS